A significant proportion of our members’ work comes from projects or disputes which originate outside the UK, and these are usually dealt with by way of international arbitration. Members are internationally recognised as leaders in this field and have considerable expertise and experience in the rules and procedures of both common law and civil law systems. For more information about our extensive international experience, visit our Markets page.
Types of dispute
Commercial arbitration
Our members’ international arbitration experience mainly relates to large scale construction and infrastructure projects, including airports, residential and commercial towers, power plants, on- and off-shore oil and gas installations, and shipbuilding projects.
Barristers at Keating Chambers frequently act in disputes arising from the biggest and highest-value projects in the world. Our members are internationally recognised for their expertise in construction law and their writing is often cited to arbitral tribunals as an authoritative statement of construction law and practice. Our members have considerable experience of leading teams that can include dozens of lawyers and experts, and presenting cases before Tribunals with a variety of legal and linguistic backgrounds.
Investment Treaty Arbitration
According to ICSID’s 2023 caseload statistics, 27% percent of cases registered in FY 2023 involved oil and gas, and mining, 15% related to electric power and other energy sources, and 9% related to construction.
Members of Keating Chambers have been involved in a number of investment arbitration disputes, and are uniquely able to combine our strengths in construction and energy disputes and in international arbitration, with expertise in investment arbitration.
Counsel
Barristers at Keating Chambers specialise in advocacy. They are particularly skilled and experienced in the cross-examination of witnesses. This is an essential part of almost all construction arbitrations, and is the decisive factor in many cases. They are also expert in preparing concise and persuasive written submissions, and supplementing them with incisive oral advocacy at the hearing, interacting with their tribunals to get their client’s case across.
Our members act in high value arbitrations for clients all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the USA and the UAE. Their experience brings a familiarity with both procedural and substantive law in numerous jurisdictions, and of the rules and procedures particular to the various institutions.
Arbitrators
Senior members are also regularly appointed as arbitrators in large construction and other commercial disputes, acting in cases brought under the rules of the ICC, the LCIA in London, HKIAC in Hong Kong, SIAC in Singapore, DIAC in Dubai, and other regional institutions. They also have considerable experience of ad hoc arbitration proceedings.
Keating Chambers has a dedicated team of arbitration ADR clerks to provide the necessary separation when we have both counsel and arbitrator engaged in the same dispute.
Industry Recognition
Keating Chambers is ranked as a leading set for international arbitration in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 and has been awarded ‘International Arbitration Set of the Year’ in the Chambers UK Bar Awards. Barristers at Keating are also recognised in specific guides for the Asia and Middle East regions, and clients have commented that Keating has “an array of world class silks and juniors who are leading experts”, and “Keating Chambers is what all sets should be like”.
